Flavored Nation Celebrates 50 Iconic Dishes of the U.S.

Erin Edwards Dining Editor, Columbus Monthly

Wednesday

Jun 6, 2018 at 2:49 PM

Chefs from across the nation will descend on Columbus for the inaugural food tasting event.

Reindeer sausage from Alaska will be there. So will Kansas’ sour cream and raisin pie. And, of course, the Ohio buckeye. For two days this summer, Flavored Nation will bring a culinary tour of America’s iconic dishes to Columbus for the first time. The event, featuring samples of dishes from across the U.S. prepared by both local and national chefs, cooking demonstrations, cooking competitions and more, will take place August 11 and 12 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Flavored Nation is the project of four food entertainment veterans, Richard Gore, David Rosengarten, Jared Bobkin and Bobby Parrish. Gore, executive producer of Flavored Nation and former president of live events for the Food Network, says the “secret sauce” of the event is the opportunity to stoke debate. He expects not everyone to agree on each state’s iconic dishes and that’s OK. “The whole thing about the event is the passion that people have for these foods,” he says. “[We want to] engage that and keep the conversation going.”

As home to the inaugural Flavored Nation event, Columbus’ culinary talent will be well represented. Bill Glover, executive chef of Hilton Columbus Downtown and Gallerie Bar & Bistro, took the lead in recruiting 12 Columbus-area chefs to participate in the event, while 38 more chefs and restaurateurs will be flying in from across the country.

The 12 participating Columbus chefs/restaurateurs and their iconic dishes include:

GateHouse Media, which owns Columbus Monthly and its sister magazines, is the presenter of Flavored Nation. Tickets are on sale now at flavorednation.com. General admission, single-day tickets are $35 in advance or $45 at the door.